Inheritance & Probate in Greece

Whether you’ve inherited a family home on a Greek island, purchased property through a Golden Visa, or are simply planning ahead, Greek inheritance law will affect you. And right now, Greece is undergoing its most significant succession law reform in eighty years.

Understanding the rules – both current and incoming – is not optional. It’s how you protect your assets, your family, and your peace of mind.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Greek succession law determines how assets are distributed upon death, who qualifies as an heir, and what obligations come with inheriting property. For foreign nationals with assets in Greece, the framework is shaped by both the Greek Civil Code and EU Regulation 650/2012, which governs cross-border successions across the European Union.

Applicable law. Under EU Regulation 650/2012, the default rule is that the law of the country where the deceased had habitual residence applies to the entire estate. However, you may elect the law of your nationality to govern your succession instead – a choice that must be recorded in a valid will. This is a powerful planning tool and one we regularly advise clients to consider early.
Forced heirship. Greek law reserves a portion of the estate for close family members – the spouse, children, and in certain cases, parents of the deceased. These heirs cannot be entirely disinherited except under narrow circumstances. If you are subject to Greek succession law, this is a constraint you need to plan around, not discover after the fact.
Types of wills. Greek law recognises handwritten (holographic) wills, public wills executed before a notary, and secret wills deposited with a notary. Each carries specific formal requirements. A will that is valid in your home country may not automatically be recognised in Greece without proper steps.
Inheritance tax. Beneficiaries are taxed based on their relationship to the deceased, with rates ranging from 1% to 40%. Close relatives benefit from generous tax-free thresholds. For example, a sole child inheriting the family home as a primary residence may owe no tax at all. Residents of Greece must file within six months; those abroad have twelve months.

THE 2026 REFORM: WHAT’S CHANGING

A landmark bill reforming Greek inheritance law was submitted to Parliament in late 2025 and is expected to take effect on 16 September 2026. Prepared by a committee chaired by Professor Apostolos Georgiadis, this is the first comprehensive overhaul of Greece’s succession framework since 1946. Here’s what matters most:

Heir liability is being decoupled from personal assets.
Under the current system, accepting an inheritance can expose you to the deceased’s debts – even with your own assets. The reform eliminates this risk: creditors will only be able to claim against estate assets, not the heir’s personal property. For foreign property owners, this is a major shift.

Forced heirship becomes a monetary claim. Statutory heirs will no longer automatically become co-owners of specific properties. Instead, they will be entitled to the cash value of their legal share. This addresses one of the most persistent problems in Greek property law – the fragmentation of real estate into impractical co-ownership among multiple heirs.

Inheritance contracts are introduced for the first time. A person will be able to enter into binding agreements during their lifetime to determine how their estate will be distributed upon death. These contracts must be executed before a notary and, once in place, override any conflicting will. This gives families and investors a level of estate-planning certainty that Greek law has never offered before.

Unmarried partners gain limited rights. Long-term partners – whether through a civil partnership or documented cohabitation of at least three years – will be recognised in the order of succession for the first time.

The surviving spouse’s share increases. When inheriting alongside children, the spouse’s intestate share rises from 25% to 33.3% (with one child) or 25% (with two or more children).

Digital infrastructure is already live. Since November 2025, the new diathikes.gr platform allows wills to be registered and published electronically through notaries, reducing a process that previously took over a year to just days.